Haryana: Around 300 principal posts vacant as promotions create new gaps in schools
Haryana: The promotion of principals to Block Education Officers (BEOs) has led to a renewed surge in school head positions in government schools across Haryana, prompting the Haryana State Lecturers Association (HSLA) to urge the government to fill these positions immediately.
Recently, approximately 70 principals were promoted to BEOs, while last month, the promotion of Post Graduate Teachers (PGTs) to principal positions left approximately 130 vacant principal positions. HSLA stated that this situation has led to a severe shortage of principals in government schools.
HSLA State President Satpal Sindhu has written to the Director of the Secondary Education Department, requesting that the vacant positions be filled as soon as possible. While thanking the department for issuing several promotion lists from PGT/Lecturer to Principal over the past four years, Sindhu said that the BEO’s latest promotion list of principals has once again exacerbated the shortage, especially in senior secondary schools in the Rest of Haryana (ROH) category.
She claimed that approximately 300 principal positions are currently vacant in schools across the state.
Sindhu said, “We request the government to initiate the promotion process from PGT to Principal as soon as possible to ensure smooth academic and administrative functioning in schools.” She further stated that in the absence of regular principals, PGTs are being given charge, which is adversely affecting academic work. Without regular principals, schools suffer both administrative and academic losses. Teachers are burdened with more responsibilities, leaving less time and focus for teaching,” she said.
Sindhu further stated that quality education cannot be ensured without regular principals heading schools.
HSLA Indri Block President Arun Kaharba echoed the concerns, saying, “Only a full-time principal can effectively manage school administration, academic supervision, financial approvals, infrastructure planning, and coordination with higher authorities.”
The association also pointed out that on November 26 last year, the Haryana government promoted 221 teachers to the position of principal – including 218 PGTs and three headmasters – bringing relief to many schools that had been without heads for months or years.
Following these promotions, the department sought preferences from the promoted teachers to fill vacancies in 349 government schools that currently do not have regular principals.
